CIMB Classic 2016 @ TPC Kuala Lumpur ( 20 ~ 23 October 2016 )

The CIMB Classic, which is the only official PGA TOUR FedExCup event in Southeast Asia, returns to Kuala Lumpur this October. Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia, the 2016 tournament will be held at TPC Kuala Lumpur, the first TPC Network property in Southeast Asia and the only current TPC in Asia. The CIMB Classic will showcase 78 players including international stars Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and many others competing for the US$ 7 Million purse.

For more information, please log on to www.cimbclassic.com

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-Ticketpro.

Jelajah 12 negara promosi Pahang

MOHD. SHAKAR MOHD. SHAMSUDDIN (dua kanan) mengibar bendera negeri
sebagai perlepasan konvoi program Jelajah Kembara Eropah Promosi
Tahun Melawat Pahang 2017 di Kuantan, semalam. Mingguan/Ameer Ferdaus AB. Aziz

KUANTAN 24 Sept. – Seramai 65 peserta yang menaiki 17 ken­deraan pacuan empat roda akan menjelajah 12 negara bagi mempromosikan negeri ini sebagai destinasi tarikan pelancongan ke peringkat lebih tinggi sempena kempen Tahun Melawat Pahang 2017.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pe­lan­congan dan Kebudayaan ne­geri, Datuk Seri Mohd. Sharkar Shamsuddin berkata, program selama 52 hari itu bermula hari ini di sini dan dijangka berakhir di London, United Kingdom dengan melibatkan peserta yang terdiri daripada kakitangan kerajaan, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dan pengamal media.

“Kembara ini juga disertai doktor dan mekanik sebagai persediaan menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan sepanjang perja­lanan mereka,” katanya pada majlis pelepasan peserta program Jelajah Kembara Eropah: Promosi Tahun Melawat Pahang 2017 di pekarangan Pejabat Tourism negeri di sini hari ini.

Yang hadir sama Pengurus Besar Tourism negeri, Datuk Ishak Mokhtar.

Menurut Mohd. Sharkar, negara-negara yang akan dijelajahi peserta program tersebut ialah Thailand, Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Rusia, Belarus, Poland, Jerman, Belanda, Belgium, Perancis dan United Kingdom.

Katanya, pelaksanaan program berkenaan adalah sebagai antara usaha kerajaan negeri untuk mempromosikan pusat-pusat pelancongan di negeri ini sebagai destinasi tumpuan dari dalam dan luar negara sete­rusnya mengarusperdanakannya sebagai sektor penting pertumbuhan ekonomi.

Tambah beliau, program itu akan menjadi titik permulaan kepada penduduk di negara yang dijelajahi peserta kembara ber­kenaan untuk memilih negeri ini sebagai destinasi percutian terbaik dunia.

“Kita mendoakan peserta jelajah kembara ini dapat menempuh cabaran dan halangan sepanjang perjalanan dengan jayanya serta mencapai misi yang ditetapkan. Kita juga akan bersama mereka di negara tertentu untuk mempromosikan Pahang kepada negara luar,” ujarnya.

Dalam pada itu, beliau memberitahu, negeri ini menerima seramai 10.5 juta pelancong pada tahun lalu yang menjana pendapatan sebanyak RM7 bilion.

“Dengan pelaksanaan program jelajah ini, kita menyasarkan seramai 15 juta pelancong ke negeri ini pada tahun hadapan yang mana perbelanjaan pelancong dijangka melebihi RM10 bilion,” katanya.

-utusan online.

Malaysian duo out to excel in Sepang

Eager to shine: Akash (left) and Nabil are confident of using their
Sepang track experience to good use at the GP3 and GP2 races.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian racers Nabil Jeffri and Akash Nandy are hoping to use their experience at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) to gain an advantage over their rivals in the GP2 and GP3 races there.

Nabil said although he had driving expe­rience at the newly upgraded SIC, the heat and humidity would prove to be a challenge.

“This circuit is my favourite, though it is demanding physically because of the high-speed corners.

“I came back three weeks early to prepare myself for the race and I am training by cycling and running,” he told reporters recently.

The 23-year-old said this would be his first home race in GP2 and there was a lot of expectations for him to perform well.

“My target is to finish in the top 10,” he said, adding that he believed the upgraded track would lead to faster times and more overtaking opportunities.

Nabil, who is racing for Arden International, said he had been driving on the track since he was 16 and his experience had led to other drivers asking him for tips on racing at the circuit.

“I try to help them as much as I can but it’s not as easy as telling them to turn right here and turn left there. You have to get a feel of it,” he said.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Akash Nandy also believed he had an edge over the other racers in GP3 because of his driving experience at SIC. “I agree with Nabil. I started my career at Sepang and will use that to my advantage,” he added.

Akash said apart from racing, he also focused on studying for his law degree.

“It’s tough balancing my personal life and career but the university I am studying in has given me a lot of support.

“In terms of friendship, I have made some friends but lost some since I started racing,” he said.

The GP2 and GP3 races will be held during the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix weekend on Oct 1 and 2.

The Formula 1 teams will be arriving this week and begin setting up at the circuit ahead of the race.

-thestar online.

Unexpected Outcome In Qualifying For Kornfeil And Norrodin At Aragon

MotorLand Aragon, Spain – Saturday 24th September

Circuit: MotorLand Aragon
Circuit Length: 5.1 km

Bike #84 – Jakub Kornfeil
QP: P26; 1’59.705 – 14 laps

Bike #7 – Adam Norrodin
QP: P30; 2’00.606 – 15 laps

Today’s Moto3 qualifying at the beautiful MotorLand Aragon saw a disappointing end for the DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team, with both riders qualifying outside of the top twenty.

Adding to the team’s frustration is a penalty of three grid places given to Jakub Kornfeil; this will reduce the Czech rider’s starting position to 29th place for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix with teammate Adam Norrodin lining up next to him in 30th.

Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“We started the weekend quite well here and up until qualifying the riders were happy with their settings, so to be honest I don’t quite understand what happened to them this afternoon. We tried some new parts yesterday and the results were very positive, so it’s a surprise to all of the team that we were so far back today. Both riders could definitely have done a better job in qualifying. We really expected much more. We had good strategies, three new rear tyres for both of them and both options were available; they just didn’t go out with the right people and on their own they couldn’t get into a rhythm. It’s very disappointing for the whole team but we have to continue to fight for tomorrow. Jakub has shown he can be quick here but just today he couldn’t do it. With Adam we were quite surprised with his times in qualifying when he really could have been better. We will have to evaluate this more in tomorrow’s warm up and see what we can do to help him. When the race starts it’s up to them to get their head down and battle hard.”

#84 Jakub Kornfeil 
“I feel sad about qualifying today because 26th plus the three position penalty, means we start from the second-last row on the grid. This is going to make the race tomorrow very difficult. We had the speed throughout the practice sessions and we were focussing on the top five, top eight minimum as our target today, so for sure it’s disappointing! I was very concerned about getting another penalty in QP and I think I focussed too much on this during the session. I just wanted to go alone and not wait for any other riders. I was confident I could do it alone but the pace just wasn’t there. I’m sorry to the team.
We still have a chance to do well tomorrow, so we must focus on this now. Okay it will be hard starting from so far back on the grid but I still feel confident I can make amends for the result today and fight may way to a strong finish.”

#7 Adam Norrodin
“Today’s qualifying is so disappointing. I didn’t feel that comfortable on the bike from the start and I had some chatter on the bike, but I cannot blame my result on this. Truthfully I found it hard to clear my mind and focus on making a good lap. The more I tried, the more I struggled to find my rhythm. At the end I was completely alone on track and I couldn’t do anything to improve the lap time. It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow but I will give it everything I’ve got. Now I have to stop and reset. Mental strength in racing is one of the most important factors. This is what I really have to work on but I’m determined to improve.”

-SIC Racing Team facebook.
PelanconganKini supports DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team.

Note: DRIVE M7 merchandises are available at http://www.m7shop.com/home.aspx
New Drive M7 Vitamin Drink now available.

Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2016 ( 28 ~ 30 October 2016 )

Held on 28-30 October 2016, just 4 weeks after the Malaysia F1 Grand Prix, the two biggest international motorsports events make for a high adrenaline October in Malaysia. Fans can expect an even bigger and better Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2016, with passionate rivalry on the track and a spectacular motocarnival for passionate two-wheel motorsports enthusiasts off the track.

With more than 100 booths, the motocarnival offers just about everything a fan could want. MotoGP race week, arguably the best two-wheel motorsports festival in Southeast Asia, extends across the Klang Valley, with off-track entertainment, fan engagement with riders and other exciting activities. Local fans will definitely want to root for Adam Norrodin, who is making his Malaysia MotoGP debut as a SIC Racing team rookie, and not forgetting, cheer on national favourites Hafizh Syahrin in the Moto 2 category.

Get your tickets from:

Online at www.AirAsiaRedtix.com

-AirAsia RedTix.

Accessible Tourism, theme of World Tourism Day 2016

Tourism for all: people with disabilities, senior citizens and families travelling with small children, and sooner or later all citizens will appreciate the advantages of universal accessibility. This is why UNWTO has chosen to celebrate World Tourism Day 2016 on the theme of accessible tourism. Official celebrations will take place on 27 September in Bangkok, Thailand. 

For the last quarter–century World Tourism Day, held annually on 27 September, has aimed to foster awareness of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic impact. This year’s official celebrations will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on the theme of ‘Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility’.

Reaching universal accessibility in tourism is a shared responsibility of all parties involved in the tourism value chain, as well as a business opportunity for companies and destinations.

“Everyone has the right to access leisure and tourism services on an equal basis. Yet 1 billion people around the world living with disability, along with young children, seniors and persons with other access requirements, still face obstacles in accessing fundamentals of travel such as clear and reliable information, efficient transportation and public services, and a physical environment that is easy to navigate.  Even with modern technologies, those with visual, hearing, mobility or cognitive impairments are being left behind in many tourism destinations.” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in his official message.

“All of the world’s citizens have the right to experience the incredible diversity this planet has to offer. Therefore, it is highly important that all countries and destinations, as well as the industry, promote accessibility for all in the physical environment, in transport systems, in public facilities and services and in information and communications channels”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“This year's theme, ‘Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility’, is a challenge for Thailand and the world to recognize the necessity of accessibility in tourism and to accommodate everyone anywhere they may travel to (…) We have to understand the theory of Universal Design (…) As the world of travel and tourism is an expanding industry and the number of travelers increases every year, we have to ensure that travelling the world has to is as safe and seamless as possible,” explained Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand.

The official celebrations include a ‘Tourism and the Media’ session held on 26^th September at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and a full-day conference the following day. During the event, experts on accessibility and tourism will exchange views and best practices, addressing the need to work in cooperation to advance in the ‘Tourism for All’ agenda.

Creating an adequate policy framework for specific business development strategies, the need to increase awareness and capacity building targeting both decision makers and tourism professionals are some of the topics to be addressed during the conference. Andrew Stevens, Asia Pacific Editor of CNNMoney, will moderate this discussion.

The conference will also address innovative strategies in the development of accessible tourism infrastructure, products and services which add value to destinations and enhance their competitiveness on the global tourism market. A number of best practices will be featured with the aim of emphasizing the value of investing in accessibility.

The celebrations of World Tourism Day 2016 are being held in collaboration with CNN, UNWTO media partner. 

-UNWTO.

Positive Day One For Kornfeil And Norrodin At Aragon

MotorLand Aragon, Spain – Friday 23rd September

Circuit: MotorLand Aragon
Circuit Length: 5.1 km

Bike #84 – Jakub Kornfeil
FP1: P14; 2’00.915 – 15 laps
FP2: P10; 1’59.774 – 13 laps

Bike #7 – Adam Norrodin
FP1: P16; 2’01.217 – 16 laps
FP2: P24; 2’00.939 –13 laps

DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team rider Jakub Kornfeil completed a positive first day on track at Aragon in a solid 10th place, with teammate Adam Norrodin making steady progress and concluding the day with a combined position of 26th overall.

Having used first practice to dial into the Spanish circuit, Kornfeil set about making significant headway in the afternoon’s session. With improved front suspension settings the Czech rider shot up the time sheets to 3rd place, predominately staying within the top five thereafter.

Despite slipping down the order to 10th position as the chequered flag came out, Jakub Kornfeil is confident he and his team have found what it takes to be a front row contender in tomorrow’s Moto3 qualifying.

Eager to ride on familiar ground, Malaysian rookie Adam Norrodin got straight to work and on the pace, ending the first session in an impressive 16th place. With more time to focus on bike set-up, Norrodin and his crew worked hard find the best setting for the #7 machine, despite encountering some technical issues along the way. Undeterred by the minor set-backs the 18 year-old is feeling positive he can take the next step ahead of qualifying.

#84 Jakub Kornfeil 
“Free Practice one went quite well today and I was feeling good by the end of the session but we knew we would have to make a big step in the afternoon and a big improvement with the bike. In FP2 we worked very hard and we were always near the top. We made a good plan and the mechanics did a great job, which I’m very happy and positive about. Before the end of the practice I was always in the top five. I was able to set a good lap time because I felt good on the bike; I was also able to take advantage of the slip-stream, so everything went to plan. In the last few minutes of FP2 we put new tyres in [soft in the rear and medium in the front], but unfortunately this caused a bit of chatter and pushing at the front, so not the best feeling. Regardless I was able to get into a group and I was going fast, but then we got stuck behind a lot of slower riders and couldn’t improve any further. Nevertheless I’m confident that if this hadn’t have happened I would have been able to do a low 1m59s lap time and be in the top three very easily. Our bike is working well and I feel very positive about tomorrow.”

#7 Adam Norrodin
“I’ve been looking forward to riding at Aragon all week! In FP1 this morning we did a really good job from the start. Our pace was good and I felt I could push a lot quicker than normal because I didn’t have to learn the track. At the end we were not so far away from the top, so I was very happy.
For most of FP2 we were using used tyres. Unfortunately from the start of the afternoon session we had a slight issue with the handlebars, so I didn’t feel as comfortable pushing. My mechanics worked very hard to fix this but then at the end we encountered another issue with the bike which caused us to lose some time. I had one lap towards the end of practice with new tyres and it was at this point that I was able to improve. We didn’t make as big of a step as we would have liked but we have collected a lot of valuable information today, so we know what we have to do to be better for tomorrow. For sure in FP3 we will go faster.”

-SIC Racing Team facebook.
PelanconganKini supports DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team.

Note: DRIVE M7 merchandises are available at http://www.m7shop.com/home.aspx
New Drive M7 Vitamin Drink now available.

Tourism Malaysia Sertai MATTA FAIR PENANG 2016

GEORGE TOWN, 22 September 2016 – Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang telah menyasarkan jualan pakej bernilai RM100,000 melalui penawaran pelbagai produk dan pakej pelancongan domestik pada pameran pelancongan “MATTA Fair Penang 2016” yang akan berlangsung dari 23 hingga 25 September di Strait Quay Convention Centre, George Town.

Seramai lima peserta yang terdiri daripada pengusaha produk pelancongan, agensi pelancongan, pengusaha hotel/resort dan pengusaha inap desa dari Pulau Pinang dan Kedah akan mengambil bahagian dalam pameran pelancongan ini di bawah payung Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang.

Penganjuran semula “MATTA Fair Penang” ini diharapkan dapat merangsang minat para penduduk dan ekspatriat di utara tanah air untuk melancong dalam negara sendiri selepas kali terakhir menganjurkannya hampir tiga tahun yang lalu. “MATTA Fair Penang” sebelum ini dianjurkan di Penang International Sport Arena (PISA) atau kini dikenali sebagai SPICE Arena di Bayan Lepas.

Seramai 114 pempamer yang terdiri daripada pelbagai agensi pelancongan, hotel dan resort serta pengusaha produk pelancongan dari seluruh negara akan menyertai pameran selama 3 hari yang dianjurkan oleh MATTA Penang Chapter ini.

Bagi “MATTA Fair Penang 2016” ini, Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang telah menyasarkan peningkatan sebanyak 30% jumlah pengunjung daripada tahun-tahun sebelumnya.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle, Deniece Williams Greatest Hits in Genting ( 17 December 2016 )

Peabo is back and this time he is accompanied by two lovely Grammy Award winners.

Revered as one of the premier male vocalists in contemporary music, Peabo Bryson's many successes include the No.1 hit, Can You Stop the Rain, the Top 10 number, Treat Her Like a Lady, and his duet with Celine Dion, Beauty and the Beast. Bryson marked his professional debut at the age of 14, singing backup for Al Freeman and the Upsetters. For several years, he worked with hometown bands, and wrote and produced for Bang. In 1976, he finally tasted big-time success when he released his debut album, Peabo that featured many songs composed by him.

Regina Belle is, of course, well-known for her Grammy Award winning duet with Bryson—A Whole New World for Disney's 1992 animated feature, Aladdin. The American singer-songwriter and actress who is noted for her deep, sensuous voice, also enjoyed big success for her singles, Baby Come to Me and Make It Like It Was.

Deniece Williams is yet another big name that ruled the airwaves in the 70s and 80s. At her peak, the Grammy Award winner spent a decade at the top of the soul charts, winning acclaim for both her four-octave range and delivery style. A fixture of urban and pop radio formats in the 1980s, Williams is best known for such hits as I Surrender, I Believe in You, and Let's Hear it For the Boy, one of the tracks from the movie, Footloose.

Don’t miss out this A-list presentation and re-live the romance once again as these famous trio reignite the flames of love in the arena.

-www.ticketcharge.com.my

Tourism Malaysia names Siew Ka Wei as new chairman

Datuk Siew Ka Wei (pictured right) has been appointed as
the Chairman of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. - file pic

PETALING JAYA, Sept 21 — Businessman Datuk Siew Ka Wei has been appointed as the chairman of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board or Tourism Malaysia.

The Tourism and Culture Ministry, in a statement, said Siew’s appointment by minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz took effect from yesterday.

“I am honoured and grateful to Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz for the trust he has in me. I welcome the appointment as a challenge and responsibility to do my best for the country,” said Siew, who is the group managing director of Ancom Berhad as well as the CEO of the Redberry group of companies.

Siew stressed that he would work closely with all stakeholders — from industry players to the media — to further develop the county’s tourism potential.

The chairman’s post, unlike other government-linked boards, requires active participation in not only drawing up policies but also helping to set the direction of Tourism Malaysia in its effort to woo more tourists into the country.

As a well-known entrepreneur, Siew was chosen by Nazri to provide such entrepreneurial expertise to Tourism Malaysia.

Industry players said Tourism Malaysia needs to be more nimble in reacting to the changing taste of visitors and this could be achieved if Siew could inject more urgency to the board through his entrepreneurship.

Stakeholders will be expecting Siew to provide leadership to the board in this direction.

Tourist arrivals to Malaysia increased by 3.7 per cent in the first half of the year while in the same period, tourist expenditure increased by 10.7 per cent.

However, the growth came largely from neighbouring countries like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei.

Figures released showed that China tourist arrivals had increased by 32.1 per cent and Tourism Malaysia credits this with the increase in flights, ease in getting visa and return in consumer confidence.

Asked about his role, Siew noted that Nazri was determined to increase tourist arrivals and his role would be to make this a reality.

“A whole range of things ranging from catering to holiday makers, to medical tourism, golf tourism, adventure tourism and even food tourism has been drawn up to attract visitors to Malaysia but I am sure we can do more such specialised products to attract niche travellers,” he said.

Siew said he would also place emphasis on domestic tourism, which is popularly known as ‘Cuti-cuti Malaysia’.

“We need to encourage more Malaysians to travel within the country and to get Malaysians to appreciate the beauty of their own country. There are so many things for us to visit and do locally.

“We must open up more wonderful places in the country for both local and foreign tourists to visit. This will create huge economic and social activities in these localities,” he added.

-themalaymailonline.

Citrawarna@Kuala Lumpur 2016 @ Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur ( 25 September 2016 )

For update info, please check :
Facebook - facebook.com/mymotac
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Twitter - twitter.com/mymotac
Youtube - youtube.com/channel/UCkZ5C9Aor-1VEIKsEcxqq6A 
-MOTAC.

Gavin Green hopeful for first CIMB Classic appearance

Gavin Green

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysia's top golfer Gavin Green is hoping to secure his first appearance at the CIMB Classic, to be held this year at TPC Kuala Lumpur from 20 - 23 October. 
Green is competing at the SapuraKencana National Classic ("National Classic") from 20 - 22 September alongside nearly 100 local professional golfers. The National Classic champion will earn a coveted spot in the USD7 million prize purse tournament next month.

Twenty-two year-old Green, who represented Malaysia at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil has had a strong year with two victories and seven top-10s at the Asian Development Tour ("ADT") and is currently second on the ADT Order of Merit. Green is currently ranked 259th on the Official World Golf Ranking ("OWGR"), having climbed almost 500 positions since the beginning of the year.

"It has been an exciting year so far and playing in the Olympics was one of the highlights. If I can play in the CIMB Classic it will definitely be a bonus for me. With so many world ranking points on offer, I might have a chance at overtaking Danny (Chia) on the rankings," said Green.

"There will be a strong field at the CIMB Classic again this year so it will be nice to be part of the field. But I can't get ahead of myself. At this point, I need to focus on qualifying for the event."

Green who finished T9 at the 2015 National Classic will face defending champion Ben Leong at TPC Kuala Lumpur this week. Leong subsequently finished T64 in his first appearance at the 2015 CIMB Classic. Both players will be gunning for a chance to compete alongside many of the world's top golfers.

As the FedExCup Playoffs wrap up this weekend at the TOUR Championship, three of the top five players in the standings heading into the final event have committed to play at this year's CIMB Classic; Patrick Reed (2nd), Adam Scott (3rd) and Paul Casey (5th). All three are guaranteed the FedExCup this week if they can secure victory at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia."It is an entirely differently experience playing in the CIMB Classic. You don't get to play with the PGA TOUR players often and when you do, the experience is amazing," said Leong. "When I played in the CIMB Classic last year, it was like a dream come true."

American Patrick Reed, who won The Barclays in August to take the lead in the FedExCup Playoffs followed up with T5 at the Deutsche Bank Championship and a T13 at the BMW Championship. Reed will play for the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine National Golf Club in two weeks.

Former World No. 1 and thirteen-time PGA TOUR champion Adam Scott is a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR this season. The 2013 Masters winner will be looking to close the CIMB Classic this year after a runner-up finish to Justin Thomas last year.

The third member of the FedExCup top-five trio is Englishman Paul Casey, who finished second at both the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship to vault into the FedExCup Playoffs top-five. Casey, who claimed his only PGA TOUR victory in 2009 has put together a solid season, finishing in the top-10 six times.

The CIMB Classic 2016, now in its seventh year, will feature a 78-player elite field, comprising 60 from the PGA TOUR, 10 from the Asian Tour and eight sponsor's exemptions. The PGA TOUR player commitment deadline for the tournament is 21 September 2016.

The CIMB Classic, which is also co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia is part of the PGA TOUR's season-long FedExCup competition. Malaysia will have two representatives - the winner of the SapuraKencana National Classic and the highest ranked Malaysian golfer in the OWGR as at 11 October 2016.

-www.cimbclassic.com

Tourism Malaysia expects Singapore arrivals to improve

Perhentian Island, Terengganu

Tourism Malaysia is confident arrivals from Singapore will pick up this year despite the record low in 2015 which saw a seven per cent drop from 2014 to 12.4 million.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, the newly appointed director of Tourism Malaysia – Singapore office, Ishak Ismail, said the latest statistics show 6.6 million Singapore visitors into Malaysia from January to June this year, an increase of 3.3 per cent.

Explaining this “significant increase”, Ismail said: “One of the key advantages for Singapore tourists is the weak ringgit which makes it very affordable for them to travel to Malaysia.

“There are also other factors like increased flight connectivity and more LCCs entering the competition.”

As such, he expressed optimism that visitor arrivals for 2016 will be “definitely better” than last year.

An average Singapore traveller makes 2.5 trips into Malaysia per year, and Ismail said he is targeting for them to increase this frequency to four times per year.

He added he aims to lure Singaporeans beyond cities like Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Johor Bahru as there is “a lot of untapped potential” in the north-east region of Malaysia.

Highlighting the upcoming Visit Terengganu Year 2017 campaign as an example, he said: “This state will leverage its well-known snorkelling and diving islands, Redang and Perhentian, to promote tourism in the mainland.

“I am sure a lot of (Singaporeans) have not been to this part of Malaysia before so we want to give them something new to see in Malaysia that they may not even realise existed.”

Ismail said they will be working closely with travel agents to further market and promote Terengganu.

-TTG Asia.

MATTA FAIR PENANG 2016 @ Strait Quay Convention Centre, Penang ( 23 ~ 25 September 2016 )

GEORGETOWN, 21 September 2016 – Penganjuran “Matta Fair Penang 2016” buat pertama kalinya akan diadakan di Strait Quay Convention Centre, Georgetown, Penang pada 23 September sehingga 25 September 2016. Kebiasaanya sebelum ini, penganjuran Matta Fair Penang diadakan di Penang International Sport Arena (PISA).

Setelah hampir tiga tahun penganjuran Matta Fair Penang ini ditangguhkan oleh Matta Penang Chapter, penganjuran semula Matta Fair Penang 2016 diharap dapat meningkatkan lagi kedatangan pelancong ke Malaysia dan Negeri Pulau Pinang amnya seterusnya dapat meningkatkan ekonomi negara. Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang sentiasa memberi sokongan kepada Matta Penang Chapter dan juga pengusaha pelancongan bagi mengeratkan hubungan kerjasama antara satu sama lain.

Matta Fair Penang 2016 telah membuka peluang kepada semua agensi di seluruh Malaysia. Sebanyak 118 booth telah dibuka dan disertai dari pelbagai agensi pelancongan, pengusaha hotel dan resort dan pengusaha produk pelancongan. Pameran ini bertujuan untuk memudahkan semua lapisan masyarakat membeli terus pakej-pakej pelancongan dalam negara dengan harga yang kompetitif dan berpatutan disamping mewujudkan budaya melancong dalam negeri secara terancang.

Sementara itu, Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang telah menjemput 5 peserta untuk sama-sama menyertai pameran Matta Fair Penang 2016 dibawah payung Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang.

Pelbagai pakej pelancongan domestik yang menarik dan unik telah ditawarkan pada pameran tiga hari tersebut dengan harga yang berpatutan. Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang telah mensasarkan jualan sebanyak RM100,000.00 yang bakal dihasilkan oleh 5 peserta dibawah payung Tourism Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang juga mensasarkan peningkatan sebanyak 30% jumlah pengunjung dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya.
-Tourism Malaysia.